Coin card loading machine

ABSTRACT

A MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY LOADING COINS IN THE COIN RECEIVING RECESSES OF A COIN CARD WHEREBY THE COINS ARE FED BY GRAVITY AND THEN PRESEED INTO SAID RECESSES AS THE CARD PASSES BELOW A PLURALITY OF STACKS OF COINS AND THEREAFTER SAID COINS ARE FUTHER PRESSED INTO POSITION BY A WEIGHTED ELEMENT.

Nov. 16, 1971 G. c. GRAHAM COIN CARD LOADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb 16, 1970 INVENTOR (v/9.55 C. fA/MM ATTORNEY Nov. 16, 197-1 G c. GRAHAM COIN CARD LOADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Shoot 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1970 BY @QMMW ATTQRNEY Nov. 16, 1971 G. c. GRAHAM 3,619,978

, COIN CARD LOADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16, 1970 s Sheds-Sheet :5

INVENTOR 420 955 6. 623444404 BY w aw ATTO NEY United States Patent O Filed Feb. 16, 1970, Ser. No. 11,414 Int. Cl. B65b /10, 35/30 US. Cl. 53-160 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for automatically loading coins in the coin receiving recesses of a coin card whereby the coins are fed by gravity and then pressed into said recesses as the card passes below a plurality of stacks of coins and thereafter said coins are further pressed into position by a weighted element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention This invention relates to loading machines and, more particularly, to a machine for automatically loading coins into recesses in a coin card.

(2) Description of the prior art In one embodiment, the invention is particularly applicable for automatically loading coins in recesses of a coin card as exemplified by the device in US. Pat. 3,047,- 144, issued July 31, 1962. Prior to the present invention, said coin card has been loaded with coins by manual means, which is not only arduous but time-consuming. In order to produce large quantities of loaded coin cards, it is more practicable and feasible to find automatic and rapid means for accomplishing that purpose, and that objective is realized by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a plurality of coin containers and means for stacking a plurality of recessed coin cards and means for propelling each of said cards successively beneath the coin holders whereby the coin recesses are automatically filled. Further means are subsequently provided for urging the coins into more intimate contact with the pressure sensitive adhesive that is in the bottom of the coin recesses of the card. The device of the present invention achieves the objective of rapidly and conveniently filling the coin recesses in a coin card with a minimum of manual manipulation.

A salient feature of the invention is the provision of a pivotally mounted group of coin holders whereby the pivoting action facilitates the transfer of the coins from the coin holders to the coin recesses in the cards. An entrance sloping surface is also provided on the bottom of the coin holder assembly whereby movement of the coin cards relative thereto is facilitated and the coins readily drop individually into the aligned coin recesses. After the initial tack of the coins to the adhesive, the coins are further pressed into contact therewith by an exit slope on the bottom of the coin holder assembly. A pressure roll is also provided for urging the coins into more intimate contact with the pressure sensitive adhesive that lies at the bottom of each of the coin recesses in the coin cards.

3,619,978 Patented Nov. 16, 1971 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention, some parts being shown in dotted outline and some parts being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the coin card and showing a coin positioned in at least one of the coin recesses;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1, some parts being shown in elevation, some parts being broken away, and other parts being shown in dotted outline;

FIG. 5 is a front end view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, with the leading end portion of a coin card being located underneath the roller weight;

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 and shows the coin card having advanced to a position where the leading coin recess of the card is beneath the roller and the coin is being urged by said roller into said recess;

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged exploded bottom view of the coin holder including a fragmentary view of the pivot mounting means thereof;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section view of the coin holder prior to the entrance of a coin card between said coin holder and the platform upon which it is mounted; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 and wherein the coin card is advanced to a position where coins have been inserted into the recess of the coin card.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS This invention is concerned with the automatic filling of coin cards with coins or tokens, said coin cards being described in US. Pat. 3,047,144, issued July 31, 1962.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a typical coin card, generally designated 11 (FIGS. 1 and 2), as described in the aforementioned patent, is shown in fragmentary form in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Card 11 comprises a paper base sheet 12 to which a substantially rigid, selfsupporting cardboard cover sheet 13 is bonded by a suitable adhesive 14, or the like. Cover sheet 13 has a plurality of spaced apart coin-receiving sockets 16 of uniform diameter whose dimensions are predetermined by the size of coins intended to be accommodated. In the area of each socket 16, adhesive 14 is exposed and has a characteristic of tackiness which can releaseably secure an individual token or coin 17 in said socket. In some embodiments, a single stiff cardboard sheet may be substituted for sheets 12 and 13 with sockets 16 routed or orthewise formed therein to a predetermined depth, with a tacky adhesive located in the bottom of said sockets. Also, sheets 12 and 13 may be made of suitable plastic or fiber compositions.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the apparatus for automatically loading coins or tokens 17 into cards 11 comprises an elongated, horizontal loading deck 19 supported above a table of platform by means of a pair of vertical 3 spaced apart legs 21 and 22. Legs 21 and 22 have upwardly extending longitudinal guide rails 23 and 24, respectively, between which a card pusher plate 26 is slidable longitudinally on the top surface of deck 19 and between which cards 11 are guided through the apparatus. Connected to the top surface and at the rear end portion of pusher plate 26 is a knob 27 for manually sliding said plate rectilinearly on deck 19. Pusher plate 26 has a longitudinal guide and limit slot 28.

Mounted in deck 19 in the path of guide and limit slot 28 is a limit stop 29, said stop being removably inserted threadably into deck 19. Limit stop 29 has a head 31 connected thereto for manipulation of said limit stop in assembling and disassembling the apparatus. The bottom of head 31 is spaced apart a sufficient distance from the top surface of deck 19 to permit the free sliding action of pusher plate 26 therebetween. The longitudinal dimension of slot 28 is such that pusher plate 26 may move only a predetermined distance rectilinearly in respect of deck 19.

Intermediate the ends of deck 19 and extending up wardly therefrom is a pair of spaced apart laterally extending walls 32 and 33, said walls terminating at their side edges in perpendicularly arrayed flanges 34 and 35, respectively. Walls 32 and 33, and flanges 34, 35 form a box-like container in which a number of coin cards 11, with empty sockets 16, may be stacked.

Resting on top of the stack of coin cards 11 is a gravity weight plate 38 whose function will be described hereinafter. Gravity weight plate 38 has a knob 39 which permits removal and replacement of said plate relative to the apparatus. Flanges 34 and 35 of walls 32 and 33 are secured to legs 21 and 22 by means of support brackets 41 and 42 which are connected to the outer surfaces of the respective parts by means of screws 43 or the like.

The bottom edges of walls 32 and 33, and 'of their respective flanges 34 and 35, are spaced apart from deck 19 by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of a single coin card 11. This space also permits the passage of pusher plate 26 underneath walls 32 and 33 and their respective flanges 34 and 35.

Support brackets 42 extend upwardly above wall 33 a considerable distance and at the upper end portions thereof said brackets support a coin slide or chute, generally designated 44, formed of inclined slide floor 46 bounded on either side by vertical flanges 47 secured, respectively, to plates 42 by means of screws 48, or the like.

Located a short distance in front of wall 33 is a coin reservoir generally designated 51, said reservoir comprising a plurality of coin tubes 52, that are slightly spaced apart from each other in a lateral array relative to the iongitudinal axis of deck 19. Mounted at the top of the coin tubes 52 is a head 53 having three funnel-shaped recesses 54 at the top thereof, each of said recesses communicating with a separate, respective coin tube 52. The front portion of head 53 has an upwardly extending front rail 56 and spaced apart upwardly extending side rails 57 to prevent accidental falling or bouncing of coins from said head and serving to deflect coins into said funnel recesses 54.

Coin tubes 52 may be filled by dropping coins from a cup 58 or other suitable device onto chute floor 46 from which said coins slide by gravity into the three coin tubes at random. By virtue of the inclined plane of floor 46, the shape of the funnels and the random dropping of coins onto said slide, said three coin tubes are filled with coins approximately equally to the upper portions thereof. In one embodiment, chute floor 46 is inclined at approximately from the horizontal for effective filling of tubes 52. In other embodiments, the angle will be determined by the floor material and the coefiicient of friction relative to the coins.

Coin tubes 52 are connected at the bottom to a support block 61 in which are bored three coin apertures 62 having diameters equal to those of coin tubes 52 (see FIG.

4 7). In other embodiments, coin tubes 52 may extend all the way through to the bottom of block 61, the bottom edges of said tubes being shaped to conform to the various surfaces on the bottom of said block.

Connected to the outside surfaces of legs 21 and 22 is a pair of support pivot plates 63 by means of screws 64 or the like. Pivot support plates extend above the surface of deck 19 and are provided with pivot holes 66 that are located above the surface of said deck. Pivot holes 66 rotatably accommodate the unthreaded stubs 67 of screws 68, the threaded ends 69 of said screws engaging support block 61 to secure the latter to the apparatus. Mounted on top of the forward end portion of support block 61 by means of bolts 71 is a weight block 72. In some embodiments, block 72 may be formed integrally with block 61.

The forward bottom portion of support block 61, as shown in FIG. 7, comprises four spaced apart planes 73 which are spaced apart horizontally relative to deck 19 when coin tubes 52 are arrayed vertically in relation to said deck. The rear bottom portion of block 61 has an upward entrance slope 71 relative to deck 19 whereby a coin card moving under said block is assured access into the area between said block and said deck. In one embodiment, the apex 76 of the angle between slope 74 and planes 73 lies at the lateral diameters of aligned apertures 62.

In the spaces between planes 73 there are three spaced apart sloped exit channels 77 that lead forward from the respective coin apertures 62. Sloped channels 77 are operative upon coins 17 that have dropped into coin recesses 16 in card 11 to urge said coins firmly into said recesses.

OPERATION A supply of empty cards 11 are stacked between walls 32 and 33 and, when necessary, a gravity weight plate 38 is mounted on top of the stack to assure the proper downward movement of the stack of cards. The operator grasps knob 27 and moves pusher plate 26 forward, whereby the leading edge of said plate abutting the trailing edge of the bottom card 11 in the stack, causes said card to move forward on deck 19. The thickness of pusher plate 26 is equal to or slightly less than that of card 11, so that said plate moves forward under the stack of cards as the bottom card moves forward.

The forward edge portion of card 11 enters the area of deck 19 underneath slope 74 and continues moving underneath slope 74 and continues moving underneath coin apertures '62 from which coins 17 automatically drop by gravity into coin sockets 16. Coin sockets 16 are arrayed in three equidistantly spaced apart longitudinal rows in card 11, while coin tubes 52 and coin apertures 62 are also spaced apart to coincide with said rows, whereby coins 17 stacked in said tubes fall naturally into said sockets as they pass underneath said respective apertures.

After coins 17 fall into respective sockets 16 while card 11 moves forward, the top portions of said coins are urged downwardly against the pressure sensitive adhesive 14 in said sockets by the sloping surfaces of channels 77.

The normal distance between planes 73 and deck 19 is slightly less than the combined thickness of card 11 and coin 17 whereby, as the latter passes through to the exit end of channel 77, the forward end of block 61 yields upwardly by virtue of the pivot mounting of said block. By this slight pivoting or rocking action which is also imparted to coin tubes 52, the dropping of coins 17 from tubes 52 into card recesses 16 is facilitated. Weight block 72 tends to return coin tubes 52 to their normal vertical position after any pivoting or rocking action takes place, after said weight block has served the purpose of assisting in the pressing of coins into their respective recesses.

In order to enhance the adhesion between coins 17 and adhesive 14 there is provided a pair of brackets 81 connected by means of screws 82 to the outside walls of legs 21 and 22, said brackets extending upwardly of deck 19 and having top recesses 83 which rotatably accommodate shaft 84 of circular roller press 86. The,

surface of roller 86 may be adjusted relative to deck 19 by means of set screws 87, made of nylon or the like, in the bottoms of recesses 83, whereby shaft 84 rotates upon the heads of said set screws. Roller press 86 is held removably captive in brackets 81 by means of horizontal screws 88 in the top portion of brackets 81, at least a portion of the shaft of said screws extending over and somewhat spaced apart from shaft 84.

The distance between deck 19 and the peripheral surface of roller 86 is normally slightly greater than the thickness of card 11 so that when only the thickness of card 11 passes beneath roller press 86, shaft 86 rests upon the heads of screws 87 and permits the free passage of said card between said roller and deck 19. The combined height of card 11 and coins 17 is somewhat greater than the peripheral height of roller 86 from deck 19 whereby when a coin filled card passes underneath said roller the tops of said coins lift roller press 86 slightly while shaft 84 is lifted slightly from the tops of screws 87 whereby the full weight of roller press 86 bears down upon coins 17 to urge them into more intimate and secure contactwith adhesive 14 in sockets 16.

Roller press 86 exerts pressure by gravity only and, therefore, imparts uniform weight on all of the coins when urging them into more intimate contact with adhesive 14 in card 11. In other embodiments, roller 86 may be replaced by a suitable spring biased element for exerting pressure upon the coins after card 11 has proceeded beyond block 61 on deck 19.

Although coin tubes .52 and the corresponding coin apertures 62 have been illustrated and described as being aligned substantially perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal dimension of deck 19, said array of coin tubes and apertures may be aligned at an angle relative to said longitudinal dimension as may be required if coin recesses 16 are spaced more closely to each other on card 11 whereby the longitudinal rows of said recesses overlap each other at the edges in alternating array. Alternatively, where large tokens or coins require large closely spaced recesses 16, coin tubes 52 and respective apertures 62 may be suitably staggered in relation to the longitudinal dimension of deck 19 whereby coins 17 will drop into recesses 16, as they pass underneath respective coin tubes.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, it is only necessary to locate a particular coin tube 52 in respect of the alignment of a longitudinal row of coin recesses 16 on card 11. Accordingly, regardless of the staggered or overlapping array of recesses 16 on card 11, it is only neces sary that each longitudinal row of said recesses be serviced by a single coin tube 52, whether this takes place in unison or alternately with the servicing by another tube 52 of recesses 16 in another longitudinal row.

The pivot mounting of coin tubes 52 is advantageous when loading said tubes with coins 17 whereby the assembly of said coin tubes may be rocked manually at suitable times in order to facilitate the stacking of said coins in said tubes.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments and examples, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be substituted therefor without departing from the principles and true spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for loading coins or tokens into a plurality of spaced apart adhesive coated recesses in the surface of a coin card, comprising an elongated deck,

means on said deck for stacking a plurality of coin cards in a pile, means on said deck for stacking a plurality of columns of coins in generally vertical piles, each of said columns being disposed for alignment with a corresponding elongated row of recesses in said coin cards, means on said card stacking means for permitting the bottom card of said stack to move horizontally only one at a time in respect of said deck, means on each of said coin columns permitting the bottom coin only to move one at a time into a corresponding recess of a card as the latter moves thereunder, and a slide member movable rectilinearly on said deck, said slide member when moved in one direction engaging the bottom card of said stack of cards to move said card horizontally underneath said coin stacking means, said coins dropping from said stack of coins into respective recesses in said card as the latter moves thereunder.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means for pivotally mounting said coin stacking means relative to said deck whereby a slight rocking action of said coin stacking means facilitates the entrance of said coins into respective card recesses.

'3. Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a roller mounted above said deck, said roller acting by gravity after said coins have entered respective card recesses to urge said coins into more intimate contact with the inner surfaces of said recesses.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a block pivotally mounted above said deck subsequent to said card stacking means, said coin stacking means being connected to said block, an entrance slope on the bottom of said 'block over said deck for guiding each card thereunder, an exit slope on the bottom of said deck for each column of coins, said exit slope urging said coins into contact with said adhesive.

5. Apparatus for loading coins or tokens into a plurality of spaced apart adhesive coated recesses in the surface of coin cards, comprising an elongated deck, means on said deck for stacking a plurality of coin cards in a pile, means on said deck for stacking a plurality of coins in at least one generally vertical pile and means on said deck for moving successive bottom cards of said stack along said deck underneath said coin stacking means whereby said coins drop into respective recesses in said cards as the latter move thereunder, said coin stacking means comprising a block pivotally mounted above said deck, an entrance slope on the bottom of said block over said deck for guiding each card thereunder, an exit slope on the bottom of said deck for each pile of coins, said exit slope urging said coins into contact with said adhesive.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 and further comprising downwardly biased weighted means located subsequent to said block on said deck for urging said coins into intimate contact with said adhesive as each card passes underneath said weighted means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said weighted means comprises a roller rotatably suspended above said deck and yieldable upwardly therefrom, the distance between the peripheral surface of said roller and said deck being slightly greater than the thickness of a coin card but somewhat less than the combined height of a card and the top of the coins located in said card recesses.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 and further comprising funnel means mounted on top of each coin stacking means and a chute mounted near said funnel means, the floor of said chute being inclined at an angle whereby coins dropped on said floor slide into said funnel means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said card moving means comprises a flat plate slidably located on said deck, said plate having approximately the same thickness as a coin card.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 and further comprising means on said deck and means on said blade References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,613,861 10/1952 Goerlitz S3-246 X 2,846,830 8/1958 Bossi 53246 X 3,347,016 10/1967 Silverman 53254 X 8 FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1966 Great Britain 53254 'DHERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner 5 R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

